1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicle restraint and impact/collision assemblies for protecting the both the vehicle operator and others. More particularly, the present invention discloses an energy absorption, rotation and redirection system for particular use with racing vehicles within a confining and surrounding barrier and which functions to absorb a minimal degree of impact force attendant with the racing vehicle impacting the wall at a given angle of contact, concurrent with exteriorly actuated air bag systems of the vehicle interacting with the wall to rotate and redirect the remaining force so as to keep the vehicle moving in its generally forward direction along with the other vehicles on the track.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various systems and assemblies are known in the art for sensing and, to some extent, responding to vehicle impacts or collisions. The purpose, in every such instance, is to attempt to avoid or minimize injury to the vehicle occupants as well as to the vehicle itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,151, issued to Farmer et al., teaches a predictive collision sensing system in which a relatively narrow beam of either a radio frequency (RF) or optical electromagnetic radiation is scanned over a relatively wide azimuthal range. A return signal is processed to detect a range and velocity of each point of reflection. Individual targets are then identified by clustering analysis and are tracked in a Cartesian coordinate system. The threat posed to the vehicle for a given target is assessed from estimates of its relative distance, velocity, and size. In response, one or more vehicular devices (air bags, seat belt pretensioners and deployable knee bolsters) are controlled in response to the assessment of threat so as to enhance the safety of the vehicle occupant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,616, issued to Fitch, discloses a sacrificial (frangible) and inertial impact attenuating barrier which includes a thin walled plastic tub containing an energy absorbing and dispersible mass, such as water or sand. The tub is supported on a thin-walled plastic ring which elevates the dispersible mass to a height at which its center of gravity is the same as that of a particular racing vehicle, such as a Formula I car or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,838, issued to Breed et al., discloses frontal impact crush zone crash sensors for determining sufficient impact force to trigger an air bag passenger restraint system. The sensors are intertially damped, with a dampening force calculated to be proportional to the square to velocity. The sensors are constructed of plastic and in the shape of short round or rectangular cylinders. The particular shape of the sensors minimizes the chance that they will be rotated during a crash and the sensors are further disclosed as installed on the frontal radiator structure or at such similar locations near the front of the vehicle. A typical crash sensor further includes a hinged plastic mass attached to the housing, the mass activating a contact assembly after a predetermined movement of the mass, and with a gap existing between the movable mass and interior wall of the housing to enhance damping of the crash sensor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,117, issued to Huber, teaches an occupant restraint system incorporating a cushioning structure or air bag having an impermeable external wall and a permeable internal wall with gas passageways therebetween. The air bag is mounted on a pair of gas manifolds having manifold gas ports communicating with the gas passageways in the air bag. Gas generator units are secured to the manifolds and are actuable through impact signals to create high pressure gas directed through generator nozzles into the manifolds and subsequently into gas passageways of the air bag. A valve plate supports a plurality of inlet reed valves operating in conjunction with a corresponding plurality of inlet ports to admit ambient air from within the vehicle into the expanding air bag. A pair of bi-level exhaust valves permit the escape of high pressure gas and air from within the air bag into the vehicle interior upon completion of the deployment of the air bag. The exhaust valves restrict the rate of exit of the gas and air from within the air bag when an increase in the internal air bag pressure occurs such as caused by occupant impact.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,061, issued to Nelson et al., teaches another variation of air bag having double walled construction. The air bag is fitted to the housing of a gas generator and a gas jet opening allows the air bag to communicate with the housing. A gas generated by the gas generator, due to an impact, is charged into the air bag. The double wall construction of the air bag is such that a secondary outer bag has a greater volume or holding capacity than an initial and interiorly housed bag. The first air bag constitutes an air storage chamber which receives air from the atmosphere through an air intake path and stores the air. A gas storage chamber is formed between the first and second air bags and receives a combustion gas from the gas jet opening and temporarily stores the combustion gas. The air intake path is further typically a hollow path between the atmosphere and the air storage chamber and the first air bag has an opening therein which establishes communication between the gas storage chamber and the air storage chamber.
The present invention is an energy absorption, rotation and redirection system for particular use with vehicles, and in particular racing vehicles within a confining and surrounding barrier. The system functions to absorb a minimal degree of impact force attendant with the racing vehicle impacting the wall at a given angle of contact, concurrent with exteriorly actuated air bag systems of the vehicle interacting with the wall to rotate and redirect the remaining force so as to keep the vehicle moving in its generally forward direction along with the other vehicles on the track.
The present invention is further an improvement over previous, and largely unsuccessful, attempts in the art to redesign the surrounding barriers to absorb impact forces associated with the vehicle, it being understood that any significant amount of impact force or trauma will prove dangerous or fatal to the vehicle operator (as well as spectators or participants located beyond deflectable barriers). It has further been determined, through investigation, that the human body cannot absorb momentum forces associated with high speed impacts, particularly those in excess of 180 mph in racing conditions.
Rather, the present invention operates under the theory that, it being impractical to attempt to substantially absorb forces resulting from impact collisions with the surrounding barrier, it is preferable to attempt to only absorb a minimal percentage of the impact forces concurrent with converting a majority of the impact forces in a rotating and redirecting manner about the barrier. It is a principal of physics that circular motion, unless reinforced, naturally dissipates energy and it is therefore desirous to employ this concept to assist in preventing injury and death to the vehicle occupants and which would otherwise tend to occur in instances where massive impact forces are redirected from the vehicle to wall collision and to the individual.
Accordingly, the present invention includes the provision of a plurality of air bag actuating units located along the front and sides of each vehicle within which the system is installed. In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of three bag actuating units are installed within the area of the front bumper of the vehicle and one additional actuating unit is located in the vehicle door associated with each of the driver and passenger sides. The actuating units are preferably in the form of insertable and replaceable cartridges which recess within the vehicle body and which, in certain instances, may be quickly replaced by the racer""s pit crew.
An activator mechanism is provided for actuation/deploying the externally engageable air bags and includes an on-board processor and memory chip arrangement which communicates with each of the five individual air bag actuating units. Each air bag unit further includes a laser emitter/receptor which is instructed by the processor to issue a lasing pattern having a specified width and direction.
A further component of the activator mechanism contemplates the provision of a reflective and elongated target strip applied along the opposing facing and boundary surface of the barrier (typically a substantially vertically extending and concrete wall). Upon appropriate positioning of the vehicle relative to the concrete wall, such as occurring during a skid and during which the vehicle closes distance with the wall/barrier, at least one of the emitter/receptor units receives a return signal resulting from reflection from the target strip. At this point, the on-board processor and memory chip analyzes the parameters communicated by the associated actuating unit and, upon determining a closing speed and direction, determines the inevitability of contact and instructs the units to each deploy the external air bags before contact.
The configuration and arrangement of the air bags is further such that, upon such contact occurring at angles excepting a substantially perpendicular impact, the force of the vehicle is redirected in a rotating fashion, concurrent with a minority of the force being absorbed between the external bags and wall. In the rare instance in which the vehicle impacts the wall in substantially direct (non-angular) fashion, and in which the system is unable to rotate, the result is a three-stage cushioning of the impact force resulting from the successive impact and collapse of the central, larger and forwardly mounted external air bag, the subsequent impact and collapse of the two forwardly mounted and peripheral bags, and the contact of the vehicle""s bumper with the wall.
Additional advantages of the system of the present invention include the application of a substantially frictionless surface coating upon the opposingly facing barrier surface, such possibly including an adhering nylon, epoxy or other suitable material which is resistant to scraping or shearing and which will contribute to sliding and rotational redirection of the impacting vehicle and without the generation or transference of any substantially inertial forces to the vehicle operators. The system of the present invention is also substantially effectively regardless of whether the vehicle rights itself after contacting the wall or continues in a rotational/reversing manner.
Yet additional advantages provided by the system of the present invention is the configuration of the external air bags with a suitable three dimensional shape and size (typically spheroid related) which will not substantially impair the vehicle operator""s field of vision. To further enhance the durability and effectiveness of the bags, they are typically constructed of a heavy duty nylon material and may further be provided with concentric inner and outer layers which take into account the potential of the outer layer being punctured by sharp metal edges or the like and prior to the bags substantially fulfilling their function. Additionally, a gas (carbon dioxide) charge may be activated by the driver to quickly deflate the externally deployed bags in given situations (such as where only a minor rotating and redirecting impact has occurred) and where the driver desires to continue the race.